Azalea plant named “YBAZ-2028 Cotton Candy”

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Azalea  plant named ‘YBAZ-2028 Cotton Candy’, characterized by its dark green-colored leaves that do not abscise during the cooling and forcing periods; uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; relatively rapid flowering response; large red purple-colored flowers; semi-double hose-in-hose flower form; and excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good flower substance for about five weeks in an interior environment.

Botanical designation: Rhododendron hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘YBAZ-2028 Cotton Candy’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Azalea, botanically known as Rhododendron hybrida, an evergreen greenhouse-forcing type Azalea, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘YBAZ-2028 Cotton Candy’.

The new Azalea is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Azalea varieties having uniform plant habit, profuse and uniform flowering response, dark green foliage, good foliage retention during the cooling and forcing periods, resistance to Cylindrocladium and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Azalea originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 1995, in Alva, Fla., of the Azalea cultivar Prize, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,795, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Azalea identified as code number 93C-043-018, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Azalea was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., on Dec. 27, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Azalea by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since April, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Azalea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Azalea has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and/or light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘YBAZ-2028 Cotton Candy’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘YBAZ-2028 Cotton Candy’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Dark green-colored leaves that do not abscise during the         cooling and forcing periods.     -   2. Uniform and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Relatively rapid flowering response; plants begin flowering         about 25 days after cooling treatment.     -   6. Large red purple-colored flowers.     -   7. Semi-double hose-in-hose flower form.     -   8. Excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining         good flower substance for about five weeks in an interior         environment.

Plants of the new Azalea differ from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Prize, primarily in flower form and color as plants of the cultivar Prize have double hose-in-hose flowers that are darker in color than plants of the cultivar YBAZ-2028 Cotton Candy.

Plants of the new Azalea differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in flower form and color as plants of the male parent selection have fully double flowers that are pale pink in color.

Plants of the new Azalea can be compared to the plants of the cultivar Party Favor, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,050. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Azalea differed from plants of the cultivar Party Favor in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Azalea had glossier foliage than plants of         the cultivar Party Favor.     -   2. Plants of the new Azalea flowered earlier than plants of the         cultivar Party Favor.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Azalea were not fragrant whereas         flowers of plants of the cultivar Party Favor were slightly         fragrant.     -   4. Plants of the new Azalea and the cultivar Party Favor         differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar Party Favor         had pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Azalea. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Azalea.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘YBAZ-2028 Cotton Candy’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘YBAZ-2028 Cotton Candy’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Alva, Fla. with three plants per 15-cm containers, in a polypropylene-covered shade house during the autumn and under commercial production conditions. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 37° C. and night temperatures ranged from 0° C. to 26° C. Plants were pinched at planting, pinched a second time about twelve weeks later, and then pinched a third time about twelve weeks after the second pinch. After sufficient flower bud development, plants were cooled at 3° C. to 5° C. for about four weeks to break flower bud dormancy. Plants were subsequently forced into flower under commercial production conditions in a polyethene-covered greenhouse. Plants used for the photographs and description were about one year old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Rhododendron hybrida, ‘YBAZ-2028 Cotton     Candy’. -   Commerical classification: Evergreen greenhouse-forcing type Azalea. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Rhododendron hybrida cultivar             Prize, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,795.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Rhododendron hybrida identified as code number 93C-043-018,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About five weeks at             temperatures of 24° C. Winter: About six weeks at             temperatures of 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About nine             weeks at temperatures of 24° C. Winter: About eleven weeks             at temperatures of 24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial, evergreen; uniform             and outwardly spreading plant habit; broad inverted             triangle; moderately vigorous growth habit. Densely             foliated; full and bushy plants. Uniform and freely             flowering habit with numerous semi-double hose-in-hose             flowers per plant.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching; about six primary lateral             branches develop after the initial pinch (removal of             terminal apex); numerous secondary and tertiary branches             develop after the sequential second and third pinches.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 24 cm.         -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About 44 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter at             base: About 4.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.1 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture, developing: Pubescent, fine brown             hairs. Texture, mature: Woody; pubescent, fine brown hairs.             Color, developing: Close to 144A. Color, mature: Close to             165A to 165B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Foliage             retention: Very good foliage retention on plants of the new             Azalea that have been in a box for six weeks during the             cooling treatment. Length: About 4.6 cm. Width: About             2.9 cm. Shape: Mostly obovate. Apex: Cuspidate to mucronate             or obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Glabrous or sparsely pubescent; leathery, tough. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker             green than 147A; venation, close to 147A, towards the base,             close to 146A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: More green than 147B; venation, close to 146A to             146B. Petiole: Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 146B to 146C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Natural flowering season.—Spring after sufficient cool             period. If forced, plants typically flower about 25 days             after a four-week cooling treatment; relatively rapid             flowering response. Flowers persistent.         -   Flower arrangement and appearance.—Flowers arranged singly             at terminals with usually about three flowers per apex;             uniform and freely flowering habit. Flowers face upward or             outward.         -   Flower appearance.—Flowers rotate and rose-like; semi-double             hose-in-hose flower form with two whorls of petals.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Excellent postproduction             longevity; under interior conditions, plants maintain good             flower substance for about five weeks.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7.5 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 3.25 cm.         -   Flower bud (before showing color).—Length: About 1.4 cm.             Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 146B to             146C.         -   Petals/petaloids.—Arrangement: Semi-double hose-in-hose             flower form; two whorls of petals each with about five             imbricate petals and occasionally about five imbricate             petaloids (transformed stamens); petals and petaloids fused             at the base. Flowers appear full and rose-like. Petaloids             variable in size and shape. Outer whorl of petals: Length:             About 4 cm. Width: About 3.5 cm. Inner whorl of petals:             Length: About 3.6 cm. Width: About 2.9 cm. Shape: Beyond             fused base, roughly spatulate with rounded to bluntly acute             apex. Margin: Entire; undulate; ruffled. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 63A;             towards the base, 63B to 63C; spots towards the base, close             to 57A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 63B; towards the base, 63B to 63C.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl, fused;             subtending the petals; petal-like; irregular in size and             shape. Length: About 3.2 mm. Width: About 2.4 mm. Shape:             Roughly spatulate. Apex: Rounded to acute. Base: Fused.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, velvety. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 63A;             towards the base, 63B to 63C; spots towards the base, close             to 57A. Color, lower surface: Close to 63A to 63B; towards             the base, 63B to 63C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.75 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Angle: Mostly upright. Strength: Flexible; strong. Texture:             Very pubescent. Color: Close to 144A; towards the flower,             tinted with 63A to 63B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Occasionally transformed             into petaloids. Quantity per flower: If not transformed,             five. Filament length: About 2 cm. Filament color: Close to             155D. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther color: Close to 61A. Pollen amount: None observed.             Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils per flower: Typically one.             Pistil length: About 3.5 cm. Style length: About 3.3 cm.             Style color: Close to 57A. Stigma shape: Rounded to             flattened. Stigma diameter: About 1 mm. Stigma color: Close             to 144A. Ovary color: Close to 146A; heavily whiskered.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Azalea have been     observed to be very tolerant to rain and wind. Plants of the new     Azalea have been observed to tolerate temperatures from about 0° C.     to about 38° C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants have not been observed to be     resistant to pathogens and pests common to Azaleas. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Azalea plant named ‘YBAZ-2028 Cotton Candy’ as illustrated and described. 